Concept
Turkey operates the largest citizenship-by-investment program outside the Caribbean. It grants a second passport without residency requirements and allows dual citizenship, attracting applicants through a combination of moderate entry thresholds, speed, and an unexpected bonus—access to the U.S. E-2 investor visa.
Investment Thresholds
The basic and most popular route is real estate from $400,000 USD with a three-year holding obligation; value is confirmed by an SPK-licensed expert appraiser and international bank transfers. Alternatives at $500,000 USD include: a bank deposit in a Turkish bank, government bonds, real estate investment fund shares, or creating at least 50 jobs—all with a three-year holding period.
⚙️ The real estate threshold was raised to $400,000 USD in 2022—previously it was $250,000. Appraisal is conducted by an SPK-licensed expert, and payments go through banks, which eliminates paper transactions and inflated valuations.
Timeline
Formally, the entire process takes around 8–12 months, but with a complete application package and correct sequence of steps, citizenship and passport are often issued within three to four months. The Turkish passport provides visa-free or simplified entry to more than 110 countries.
E-2 Bonus for the USA
🔗 Related
Citizenship by Investment · Turkey Residence Permit · Second Passport and Plan B · Grenada CBI (E-2) · Malta Citizenship by Naturalization for Exceptional Services · Passport Index
A distinct reason for interest is the treaty between Turkey and the United States, under which Turkish citizens are eligible to apply for the E-2 investor visa. It allows living in the U.S. and running a business there, and for those without a suitable treaty citizenship, the Turkish passport becomes an alternative route to U.S. presence. Turkish citizenship itself does not lead to EU or U.S. citizenship.
🍓 Turkey grants a passport for real estate from $400,000 USD or assets from $500,000 USD, typically within a few months. The main non-obvious bonus is Turkish citizens' right to apply for the U.S. E-2 investor visa.
This material is expert-analytical in nature and does not constitute individual legal or tax advice.
Key factual claims
- The basic and most popular route is real estate from $400,000 USD with a three-year holding obligation; value is confirmed by an SPK-licensed expert appraiser and international bank transfers.
- Formally, the entire process takes around 8–12 months, but with a complete application package and correct sequence of steps, citizenship and passport are often issued within three to four months.
- A distinct reason for interest is the treaty between Turkey and the United States, under which Turkish citizens are eligible to apply for the E-2 investor visa.
- Related links: Citizenship by Investment · Turkey Residence Permit · Second Passport and Plan B · Grenada CBI (E-2) · Malta Citizenship by Naturalization for Exceptional Services · Passport Index · Invest in Türkiye — Property and Citizenship ↗